1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light receiving element for use in optical communication for example.
2. Background Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-45417 discloses a light receiving element having an anode electrode on the upper surface side of a substrate, and a cathode electrode on a lower surface of the substrate. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-88496 discloses a light receiving element having an anode electrode and a cathode electrode on the upper surface side of a substrate.
Increasing the response speed of a light receiving element requires eliminating a “current component delayed in response” which is a current component generated after a lapse of a certain time period from a time at which light enters the light receiving element. With the light receiving element disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-45417, there is a problem that if the thickness of the substrate is increased, the distance through which carriers travel is increased and the response speed is reduced. In the light receiving element disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-88496, the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are adjacent to each other and there is a possibility of a short circuit between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode.